Career Fair for the Tourism and Hospitality Industry

The program was attended by many representatives from state agencies and private businesses: Mr. Nguyen Quy Phuong, Director of the Travel Department, Vietnam National Administration of Tourism; Mr. Tran Duc Hai, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Tourism; Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, Institute for Tourism Development Research; Ms. Nguyen Thi Huyen, CEO of VieTran Tour; Mr. Tuan Anh, Director of Anh Duong Company; Ms. Bui Thanh Nhan, Director of Ecosea Travel Company; Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tuan, Director of Business Services at Doji; Ms. Le Viet Ha, Human Resources Director of Crown Plaza Hotel; Ms. Nhu Thi Ngan, Director of Hanoi Tourism Company;

Representing the University of Social Sciences and Humanities were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Thi Minh Hoa, Vice Rector and Head of the Tourism Management Department; Dr. Pham Hong Long, Head of the Faculty of Tourism Studies; along with all the faculty members of the Faculty of Tourism Studies and students from various cohorts.

Associate Professor Tran Thi Minh Hoa, Vice Rector of the University and Head of the Tourism Management Department, Faculty of Tourism Studies, delivered the opening remarks for the program.

In her opening remarks, Associate Professor Tran Thi Minh Hoa, Vice Rector of the University and Head of the Tourism Management Department, expressed her sincere gratitude to the representatives of the agencies and businesses who took the time to share their experiences and provide career guidance to the university's students.

As a young unit within the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, the Faculty of Tourism Studies has gone through a long journey of development, training many generations of students and contributing significantly to the high-quality workforce in the tourism industry in general and the travel and hospitality industry in particular. The Faculty currently has three departments: the Department of Geography and Tourism Culture, the Department of Tourism Management, and the Department of Event Management.

Emphasizing the significance of the program not only for the Faculty of Tourism in general but also for each student in particular, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Thi Minh Hoa shared:In the current context of Vietnam, application-oriented training programs in public educational institutions are facing numerous difficulties regarding infrastructure. Furthermore, the training process is still heavily focused on academic scientific knowledge, lacking practical skills and career guidance. This necessitates cooperation and assistance from businesses, organizations, and agencies to provide students with more opportunities to gain real-world experience.

For students:The career fair is a valuable opportunity for you. This meeting is the result of the teachers' efforts in connecting, contacting, and organizing. In addition, we are grateful for the dedicated support of the various organizations, agencies, and businesses who, despite their busy schedules, took the time to speak with us. You should take advantage of this opportunity to learn, ask many questions, and gain valuable experience for yourselves.".

Mr. Tran Duc Hai, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Tourism, shared his thoughts with the students.

Sharing general information about human resources in the tourism and hospitality sector, Mr. Tran Duc Hai, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Tourism, said: "Currently, tourism activities are receiving attention from the Party and the State. This is a comprehensive economic sector with interdisciplinary, interregional, and highly socialized characteristics. Currently, the workforce directly serving the industry is approximately 425,000 people, with Hanoi alone accounting for about 88,000. The majority of those working in tourism are under 30 years old (accounting for 60%). This workforce is divided into several areas: state management, direct human resource management in various units (about 20%), and the remainder in service industries. The majority have vocational training from intermediate to college level, while only about 9% have formal, in-depth training from university level and above. According to the 2020 orientation, the demand for human resources is very large, approximately over 800,000 (almost double the current number)."

During the exchange session, the students asked many questions about travel and tourism, hotels, and many questions directly addressed internship and collaboration opportunities at businesses.

The guest speakers were also open in sharing their experiences, and many lessons learned and opportunities were opened up for students in the travel and hospitality industry.

Dr. Pham Hong Long, Head of the Tourism Department, delivered a speech at the program.

On behalf of the Faculty Board, Dr. Pham Hong Long, Head of the Faculty of Tourism Studies, expressed his gratitude to the representatives of the management agencies and businesses for taking the time to share many useful contents with the students of the faculty.

Addressing his students, Dr. Pham Hong Long said:Today's students have so many opportunities to learn, play, and develop themselves through various work opportunities. This is a chance for them to ask for advice and find connections with businesses and managers. Take advantage of the keywords learned in today's program to prepare yourselves well for the future."

Dr. Pham Hong Long also highly praised the Tourism Management department, noting that it was the first department to organize a career guidance day for students in the travel and hospitality industry. This activity will serve as a foundation for other departments in the faculty to organize a series of seminars to promote competition and development within the faculty in the future.

At the event, Ms. Nguyen Thi Huyen, CEO of VieTran Tour, donated 15 million VND to the fund supporting students' access to practical experience, contributing to helping students of the Tourism Studies Faculty, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, have more opportunities for practical internships.